The Stack

Allie in Wonderland

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Mar 5, 2001
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I am going to be cruising in April and was wondering if anybody has been to the stack or knows anything about it? If so I would love to know what you thought of it or heard about it. Thank you!
 
Originally posted by Allie in Wonderland
I am going to be cruising in April and was wondering if anybody has been to the stack or knows anything about it? If so I would love to know what you thought of it or heard about it. Thank you!


There are photos and information on the following thread about The Stack, click on this link: http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=489176
 
this is from the writers of the Passporter:

The Stack
Disney and its passengers learned that the original teen-only lounge, Common Grounds, wasn't nearly large enough to provide a good home to the ship's teen population. The lounge itself was very attractive and comfy, with a coffee bar, Internet terminals, projection TV, a great jukebox, and lots of cushy seating for reading, board games, or just hanging out. Dance? No floor space. Party? Much too small. Further, with no windows or glass doors, the room felt like a cave during the daylight hours. All too often, this meant the teen population just skipped Common Grounds altogether, and hung-out wherever they could.

The Stack changes all that. The former ESPN Skybox has been restyled, and offers much more space for the kind of activities teens want. The makeover is mostly cosmetic. The bar is still there, but naturally only serves non-alcoholic beverages and snacks. The big screen TVs are also all present, but they're more likely to be showing music videos than sporting events. The main room is filled with small, round tables that can easily be moved aside for dancing and other group activities, and the ceiling drips with the lighting equipment required by a good dance club. The décor now sports bold splashes of color, gleaming stainless steel, and a mirrored wall draped with gauze curtains. The adjoining room, formerly filled with bleacher seats for watching the big game, now sports an open floor plan, with Internet terminals lining the walls. Plenty of sunlight pours in during the daytime. While we're not teens, it's clear to us that this should be a big improvement for everyone.
 
The teens love the fact that your KTTW card has to be encoded to allow elevator access to THE STACK!!! THat theoretically means no little sibs coming in, which was an issue with COmmon Grounds right by the pool. THey don't seem to realize that moms can easily take an elevator to 9 and walk up one flight!

CHeck out the on board activities for teens....it's a party every night, each night with a different theme. DD can't wait to enjoy the new space (in only a couple weeks!)
 

They need to improve "tween" programming- 12 to 14 category. Not much to do for them... on our 11/8 cruise most of the kids in that age group didn't hang out at the Stack as nothing was really going on for them, mostly older teens & they didn't feel comfortable or welcome. They went to movies, basketball & ping pong & just hung out. Maybe it was just that cruise...

~ Linda :boat:
 
I'll echo that my 12 year old was totally bored in the 10-12 program. However, I wouldn't advocate placing the 12s with the teens. My DD requested a cruise for her 13th birthday, specifically so that she could be in the teen program. There is a tremendous difference between a 13 and a 17 year old, which is why the programming is broken into 13-15 and 16-17. I'm just amazed at the difference in maturity between 12 and 13!
 
I'm taking my DD on the Magic to celebrate her 13th B day in a few months too. She said - I'll be "stack legal"- big deal. A lot of the teen kids I met on the ship acted less mature than me...

She really wants to use the spa, so we'll be doing the Teen mini facial thing... It will be nice that she can be included in the Stack programming this time. She will be no different maturity wise than she was in November - just the right number...

Most 12-14 year olds are middle schoolers. I find them to be quite mature for their age. My DD is an "old soul" & plays sports, dances & is in a symphonic band with high schoolers, so maybe she's the exception- she's used to older kids. But all her 7th grade friends display the same maturity as my DD. They are great girls and boys, with the interests and abilities of older kids...

This "tween" age is hard & Disney should recognize the need for specific programming. Kids should not be put in a box by age.
I think that's why you see so many kids in this age group roaming around the ship- imho.... Too old for the lab, too young for the Stack.

~ Linda :boat:
 
there is also a MAJOR lack of anything for the 18/19 year old group...
there is no organized programming AT ALL for them...
at least on the Wonder....
it was terrible....
my son, who was 15 when we last cruised had a spectacular time in the teen programming and he thinks he will again when we cruise this summer (he'll be 17)....
but my daughter, who was 18 and will be 20 this time around, had zero to do and will probably have the same situation this time....that is, zero to do with other kids her age, since there is nothing organized for them to do.......i'll have to be her buddy once again....
now that i think about it, i'm not sure it's worth all the money i'm about to shell out to DCL....
 
I will say this I observed as a parent of a DD-15 and with many friends in the 13-7 age group regarding the stack.

It was not greatly used due to its location in the "stack" on deck 11.

Since it is a place teens don't naturally walk by (i.e. you have to specifically be going there) a number of teens commented that they would go up to the stack, there would be no one there at that moment, and they would just leave and "hang out" with other like minded teens.

It seems if the hangout were more centrally located teens would wander in/out more easily.

Thus, While the remoteness is a plus, it can also be a minus.

Any othere have similar thoughts?

Jim
 
that's possible...
but maybe that's just the way the kids were on that particular cruise..
when we were on the Wonder, my son said that common grounds was so packed it was impossible to move from one side of the room to the other because of wall to wall kids...
i don't know if that was because of the location (deck 9) or maybe the kids on that cruise were more inclined to go to the teen club....
 
I think it will be better duri8ng the "warmer weather" cruises when lots more people are around the deck 9 pools more often

Jim
 
Bad news dianthus
The teen spa package is for age 14 and up (and this isn't explained in the navigator) I had a disappointed 13 year old
Barbara
 

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